Njousi Abang

Temptation - Poem by Njousi Abang

Satan tempts youTo do what is in yourPower to do and achieveFeats which you have thePotentials to achieve.Satan brings nothing newFor all was is and willAlways be as perThe Master's grand design.Look at it again this way; For forty days and forty nightsChrist walked in the desertThirsting and hungeringAnd in a trance satanShowed him the citiesOf the world as they areToday glittering and shimmeringAnd asked Christ to bow to himSo that he could be given possessionOf what is was and will always be.Not being satisfied with the responseHe asked Christ to turn stones into breadWhich again was in His power to doAnd Christ reprimanded him: ‘Thou shalt not tempt the lord thy God.'

Now look at how man today, As he was during the time of Christ, isStooping low daily to the ploys of satanTo achieve what he can achieveBy dint of hard work, Discipline and perseverance, Which is in his power to attain.We simply can't resist hunger and thirst.The devil puts blocks on our path to successSo we can turn to him for clearanceInstead of staying focused and learningIn order to overcome and achieveGod's design for us in time and space.We want the fast lane that leads to doom.We sign pacts with satan, who in turnClears the blocks he intentionally puts, For an invaluable price that all fools must pay.

We simply can't fight for a day plus oneWithout succumbing to evil attitudes.Yet we bear the sign of the living LordLike the Jews who shouted, ‘Crucify him! Crucify himAnd give us evil, Barnabas.'As goodness gradually fadesAnd many suffer and die of povertyWe daily succumb to the will of satan, And do our worse for humanity.